Hopper for seed-cleaning machines.



BESTAVNLABLE CC)?- N0 '794936' PATENTBD JULY 18,1905.

\ J. HARRIS.

HOPPER FOB. SEED CLEANING MACHINES.

APPLI OATIOK FILED JULY 21. 1904.

Tyiiness es l7 17/em w" UNITED STATES Patented July 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JONATHAN HARRIS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

HOPPER FOR SEED-CLEANING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,936, dated July 18,1905.

Application filed July 21, 1904. Serial No. 217,563.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JONATHAN HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Oleveland,county of Ouyahoga, State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Hoppers for Seed -CleaningMachines, of which I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same.

The objects of the invention are twofold: first, to provide a simple andpractical device for permitting the slide of the hopper of aseed-cleaning device to open and close uniformly at both ends, and,secondly, to provide an outlet-opening for seed or other material whichmight fall from the funnel upon the base-board or stop-board whichcloses the bottom of the funnel and which being attached to the upperend of the reciprocating shoe must move therewith and is liable to carrysuch material beyond and back of the funnelwall and lodge it there,where it will be practically inaccessible for removal.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts andconstruction of details, as hereinafter described, shown in theaccompanying drawings, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical central sectionthrough the hopper of a seed-cleaning device. Fig. 2 is a front viewthereof.

In the views, 1 is the hopper; 2, the shoe; 3, one of the inclinedscreens.

i is the opening in the front wall of the hopper. 5 is the slidetherefor, movable in guides 6 at either end. 7 7 are links connectingthis slide with the bar 8, which is capable of both vertical andlongitudinal movements by means of pins 9, fixed in the solid face ofthe hopper, and parallel inclined slots 10 in the bar 8, through whichthe pins pass. By seizing this bar by hand and giving it longitudinalmovement the slide or door below can be made to open or close asdesired.

A thumb-nut 12 may be screwed upon the threaded extremity of one of thepins and may serve to secure slide at any desired'width of opening tocontrol the flow of seed to the sieves.

13 is a stop or bottom plate which closes the bottom of the hopper andis attached to the side walls of the reciprocating shoe. This movesbackward and forward with the shoe, and since the plate does not tightlyengage the bottom of the hopper-walls it is extremely likely to carrythe material lying upon it back of the hopper-wall, where it will lodgeagainst the back wall 14, which is now in general use to prevent suchmatters from spilling over the upper end of the shoe. To prevent thelodging of such materials in a position between the hopper and the wallwhere they cannot be readily removed and where the gradual accumulationwould prevent the free movement of the plate 13 and shoe, the outer edgeof the plate is cut away or slotted at 15 next to the wall 14, so thatsuch material if passed behind the wall of the hopper will fall throughand not be retained upon the plate. The inclined bottom 13, the wall 14,and sheetmetal shelf 16 are all secured to the reciprocating hopper 2and move therewith. To prevent such material from falling upon the upperedge of the screen below, a shelf 16 is'attached to the rear wall 16Land inclines downward to throw the material farther down upon thescreen, where it will mix with the other material falling from thehopper.

I am aware that in Letters Patent of the United States bearing No.668,205 the inventor employs a bottom hopper-plate piv oted to tilt atvarying angles to regulate the flow of matters from the hopper; but ithas no part in. the practicability and especial efiiciency of thisinvention, since there is no opening between the edge of the plate andthe back wall through which overflowing material can escape, but dependsupon its pivotal support to provide suliicient inclination to permit allmatters resting on said plate to [low off from it by gravity. In-mydevice I do not alter the degree of inclination of the plate, but havinga plate of fixed inclination which is the same as that of the guide inwhich the shoe reciprocates. I provide it with most efficient means forfreeing itself from an accumulation in the angle with the rear wall.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

The combination with the hopper and the reciprocating shoe of aseed-cleaning machine, of a stop or bottom plate for the hopper havingthe same fixed inclination as the shoe and secured to the side walls ofthe said shoe, and a wall spaced from said stop-plate and secured BESTAVALA COP 794,936

in the side walls of said hopper at either end, whereby an opening isformed through which all material passing underneath the rear wall ofthe hopper will be permitted to fall therethrough inside the said rearwall and stopplate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand this 18th day of July, 1904.

JONATHAN HARRIS. WVitnesses:

Geo. S. COLE, WM. M. MONROE.

